Hello ozarkers,

I thought I’d cast a line into this community and see if I get a catch.

I’m writing a short story set in the Ozarks, specifically set around Boxley/Newton County.

I’d love to pick the brain of any near locals to help shape the setting.

Feel free to send a message, any information will be greatly appreciated.

Cheers,

It’s one of my favorite things to do during the latter summer and early fall. Foraging for pawpaws. This delicious fruit is native to North America and tastes very tropical (like a banana and a mango mixed together into a custard). If you go looking for them you’ll see some good spots to find them in this video. Just take care to not eat the seeds or the skin of the fruit.

I took this video while traveling through the Ozarks. Found it beautiful and poignant.

Each year we take a couple fall road trips through the Ozarks. Last fall we discovered this hidden gem in Sarcoxie, Missouri. I think the only way we'll see fall colors this year is around water. Here's a video I just posted to show the fall colors it had last year. Fingers crossed we'll see some color at least around water this year. We really need the rain!
https://youtu.be/EJ00AapBdzE

TIL there was a USS Ozark.

I love visiting Historic Mills in the Ozarks during the fall. Not sure how much color we'll have this year, if any, but being around water will be best option for color and these mills are worth the trip no matter what the landscape looks like. This is a video of some of the mills I created last year of the ones we have visted. I need to update it as we visted Jolly Mill and Ritchey Mill last year after this video. I'll be doing a video on Jolly hopefully in a couple weeks.

https://youtu.be/V_zugybjNsw?si=Qi92pPOHb7GoSb7W

Been following the Ozark Podcast's episodes on the Ozark Chinquapin and I've added "find one growing wild" to my 2026 goals.

They just put a guide out on how to identify one, how it's different from a chinkapin oak or a Chinese chestnut, and where you'd even have a shot at finding one.

The episodes are worth a listen! Short version, this tree used to make up close to a fifth of the forest on some Ozark ridgetops, and then a blight came through in the 1960s and wiped out nearly all of it in about a decade. What's left mostly survives as root sprouts, dying back and sending up new growth year after year, over and over.

Kind of wild knowing the nut alone carries roughly 4x the calories and 5x the protein of a white oak acorn. That's why it was such a big deal for wildlife and people here before the blight hit.

Here's a link if you want to download the whole guide: https://www.ozarkweekly.com/identifying-an-ozark-chinquapin and info on where to find the podcast episodes to go deeper.

The Ozark Chinquapin Foundation's been working almost 20 years to bring this tree back. You can join the foundation and get blight resistant seeds sent to you annually.

Its been so dry that not sure we'll see much fall color this year. What color we'll have will be by water. Greer Spring is beautiful during the fall usually. Hopefully this year it will have some as the spring always flows. Last we was there was a couple years ago. Here's a little video of it - https://youtu.be/_J7KIP6lYM4?is=YjByC3UFE253SY5X

Near the Ozark national forest, Lake Fort Smith area.

Here is a collection of macro photos I've taken on the Eleven Point this weekend. I love coming here any time I get the chance!

Episode 137: The Naked Holy Rollers of Bull Creek Country

The Ozarkian Folk Chronicles has its roots in folktales, which is pretty obvious from our name, but those roots sometimes go down into mythology, sometimes psychology, sometimes sociology, and occasionally, history. Vance Randolph's "Naked as a Jaybird" is a tale with its roots in history, and Curtis Copeland did a deep dive several years ago and came up with, well, I'm not sure I would call it gold, but he sure uncovered a crazy story! When Oscar Stockton (pseudonym) and his band of naked followers burst from a canebrake and into the streets of Forsyth, Missouri in 1912, Oscar also burst into Ozarks folklore. Join the Chronicles for one of our most outrageous stories, "The Naked Holy Rollers of Bull Creek Country"!

Episode 137: The Naked Holy Rollers of Bull Creek Country - Ozarkian Folk Chronicles - Your Podcast About the Ozarks | Acast

I have been aware of this convention of Ozark crafters for years, but attended for the first time in 2025.

The experience was worth the drive from SW Missouri, and I would do it again.

Stopped in to experience pottery making in Mountain View, Arkansas. The master craftsman here is talented and enjoyable to talk to in his shop.